


Husband

by pinkoptics



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Erik Has Feelings, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-07 19:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15226254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkoptics/pseuds/pinkoptics
Summary: Erik has always battled the demons of insecurity - not worthy, not enough, never enough. Now that he and Charles are married can those demons be silenced?When a package arrives in the mail Erik will soon find out.





	Husband

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FuryRed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryRed/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Can You Feel My Heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9921836) by [FuryRed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryRed/pseuds/FuryRed). 
  * In response to a prompt by [FuryRed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryRed/pseuds/FuryRed) in the [xmen_remix_madness2018](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/xmen_remix_madness2018) collection. 



> Hopefully, this will be a worthy addition to one of the best Cherik series’ in the fandom. 
> 
> (I believe it can also stand alone as a general Cherik marriage ficlet!)

Erik was opening the mail. 

It was an innocuous task, generally speaking. Flyers, bills, rarely anything else. Today, however, there was a package.

What was inside the package was causing his heart to ache with the sort of pain that had him clutching reflexively at his chest, as though he could somehow grasp it, surgically remove it, and hurt no more. At one time, Erik had been good at such things, at controlling his emotions in the same sort of precise way that he was able to control metal. Moulding either to be exactly as he wished- nothing touched him, nothing hurt him, nothing made him feel...

And then came Charles.

Learning to embrace emotion again, to feel, for Charles, had been a long hard battle that had almost cost them their relationship on more than one occasion. They had made it though. Charles had been worth it, was still worth it, would always be worth it. He was everything.

At first, Erik had thought the package was some ridiculous thing Charles had bought on the shopping network or from an infomercial. He had a weakness for impulse purchases and he never told Erik about them in advance, as Erik invariably tried to talk him out of every one. They did not need SuperFlex tape or the Slap Chop or a crepe maker or a burrito folder. There was one exception, though Erik would never admit he secretly loved the Snuggie. It was comfortable and warm and Charles looked ridiculously adorable reading a book in it, so what of it?

The package, though for Charles, did not contain any nonsense but boxes of new business cards. Not surprising given that Charles had recently been promoted to Head of the Genetics department at Harvard Med. What was surprising was the name printed on the cards- Charles Lehnsherr.

Charles _Lehnsherr_?

That was the moment Erik’s heart had seized. Charles Lehnsherr, his husband. They had only been married for 2 months and the word husband still made his chest constrict any time he thought it or heard it, particularly when it was coming from Charles’ mouth- paired with a smile, and the warmth and devotion curling around his mind. Charles was his, Charles had chosen him, for now and forever.

Erik put his hand over his mouth and choked his emotion back because in that moment, more than he needed air, he needed the writing on the card to be real. He needed Charles to be Charles Lehnsherr, to be his family. Charles and Erik Lehnsherr. Erik had no family, not anymore, not since he was a young child and his parents had died violent deaths and loneliness had been forced upon him.

Logically, he knew Charles was his family now. They had bound their lives together in the most official way possible. That, however, did not stop the dark corner of his mind, the part that he could never fully silence, from whispering that Charles could divorce him as easily as he had married him. That there was someone out there for Charles who was so much better than he was, that Charles would leave him, and that this time the loneliness would eviscerate him until there was nothing left but a shell in the shape of man who had known the love of the best kind of man and lost it.

But if Charles had changed his very name...?

Somehow, that felt like a stronger commitment, made them something closer to a family, than even their marriage certificate. Charles would be a Lehnsherr, there would be two Lehnsherrs now instead of one and maybe... one day... there could be another, a baby Lehnsherr, who would have everything he never had.

It had to be a mistake. It had to. Charles had not once mentioned even the possibility of changing his name. It was not something Erik would have forgotten. So, he slid the card back in the box with the others and engaged in a practice he had not engaged in, in ages- boxing up and burying his emotions.

*

When Charles came home after work it began as a feeling- a warm breeze brushing over his thoughts, offering contentment and peace. The feeling grew until Charles was able to add words to it.

_I missed you._

Erik had to laugh. _We were together this morning. I made you eggs._

_That was hours ago._

_You’re right,_ Erik conceded. _It’s been far too long._

 _Now you’re getting it._ A mental impression of Charles’ smile accompanied the words.

The ache in Erik’s chest was different now, as pleasant and warm as Charles’ presence in his mind. Charles loved him.

_I do. Very much so._

_I love you too._

God, he did.

_You’re rather soppy this evening, husband._

The ache grew into something larger, something that could not be sated until he had Charles back in his arms.

_How close are you?_

A crystal clear image of Charles’ precise location appeared in his mind. _You’ll not have to wait much longer, husband._

The ache grew further. Full of anticipation sweet longing. Husband.

Erik threw him a feeble mental growl. _Stop it, you know exactly what you’re doing._

_Precisely. So, why would I stop... husband?_

Erik’s grin became wide and ridiculous and he could not help but release a small, delighted laugh. Charles’ last name did not need to match his own. This wonderful man loved him, had married him. The dark place was soothed once more.

True to his projection, Charles turned the lock only a few short minutes later. Erik was ready to greet him when he came through the door and gave Charles little chance to do anything other than be tightly embraced.

He felt Charles’ body shake as he laughed. “Truly, what’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing.” Long ago he had promised Charles honesty about his dark moments, but he was stronger now and able to fight some of his demons on his own. “Can a man not love his husband?”

“Well, you won’t get any arguments from me on that count.” Charles was holding him just as tightly after all.

“You got a package.” There. Demon vanquished. “I think you’ll have to send it back though. They made a mistake.”

Charles’ eyes snagged on the package on the coffee table and recognized the sender immediately. “Did they? Was it my name? I spelled the bloody thing three times and had them read it back three times just to be sure.” Charles released him and moved toward the package in question. “I know Lehnsherr isn’t a common name in America but you’d think— “

“Wait. What?”

Erik thought, this time, maybe his heart really had stopped.

Charles lifted one of the cards from the box and scrutinized it. “Unless I’ve been spelling your last name incorrectly all these years, they appear to have it spot on.”

_No._

_Yes, darling._

Erik was rooted to the spot but Charles moved to the desk, opened a drawer and lifted a piece of paper from inside it. He offered the paper to Erik who took it with a hand he would never admit was shaking, just as he would never admit the way the words on the paper blurred the longer he looked at it.

A legal change of name document, from Charles Xavier to Charles Lehnsherr.

_W-Why?_

Charles took his head between both of his hands and forced Erik to look at him, brushing away more things Erik would never admit to.

“Because I am yours, Erik. I am now and I always will be. It’s been a very long time for me too, you know, since I felt I had a family, since I felt I had a home. You are my home. You are my family. Erik and Charles Lehnsherr. Charles and Erik Lehnsherr. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

 _You—I—_ Erik’s mental voice was as useless as his physical one. Charles’, thankfully, was not.

_We are family._

Really, there was nothing left to do at that point but kiss Charles- deeply, thoroughly, completely. To pour everything he was feeling into that kiss and hope that Charles understood just how much this meant to him. When they finally, reluctantly, broke apart, Charles spoke first.

“Mr. Lehnsherr?”

“Yes... Mr. Lehnsherr?” Erik swallowed, ached, wondered if it was becoming a permanent fixture in his chest, wondered if he minded.

“I would very much like it if you would take your husband to bed.”

Soon they were moving together and Erik lost himself in Charles- in his body and his mind. Charles had woven them together so completely, Erik was no longer sure which thoughts were his, which feelings, which sensations. Their devotion, pleasure, affection and love became one in the same and at that moment Erik did not want it any other way. Charles was his and he was Charles’.

Mein Ehemann.

Meine Familie.

Für immer.


End file.
